Top tips to avoid getting caught out by cyber crooks
The frenzy of online shopping for Black Friday today and on Cyber Monday will be irresistible to hackers and scammers.
Jacqueline Jayne, security awareness advocate APAC at Knowbe4 says when the end of year sales went online, cybercriminals were grateful for the shift “as they too were able to prepare, plan, research and scam all the people”.
The exact amount stolen from consumers by cybercriminals (scammers) is unknown, however, based on reported data it is in the billions, Jayne says.
Here are some of her top tips on the scams to look out for, along with some from Security HQ.
SMISHING AND PHISHING
Be on the lookout for all incoming communications such as text messages, voice messages and emails as it is here you will find most scams. The scams could look like any of the following.
We were unable to deliver your parcel. Click here to confirm delivery details <
We attempted to deliver your parcel and you weren’t home. Click here to organise another time <
There is an issue with your order from Amazon. Click here to fix the issue and avoid delays <
Your order for <
TIPS TO AVOID SCAMS
Do your research on what you to buy.
Only buy on official websites from authorised sellers or reputable sources. Check the reputation score of retailers via sites like Trustpilot. Ignore anything that comes to you via email, SMS or a pop-up ad. Don’t click!
Use a third-party payment service such as Paypal, Apple Pay or Google Pay which gives you an extra layer of protection and check for the padlock icon when at the checkout.
Don’t use free public Wi-fi as it is not secure. If you must, get a VPN (virtual private network) that enables you privacy and protection while you are online.
Check the box when it arrives. Often valuable products are swapped out for worthless ones.
Ask the courier to wait a few seconds while you check the contents are what you were expecting.
Don’t reuse your passwords and login details. Write down unique ones or use a password manager.